Aaron Schimberg is an American filmmaker best known for the 2019 film Chained for Life and the 2024 film A Different Man.

Career

Schimberg's debut feature, Go Down Death, was the closing film of the 2013 Fantasia Film Festival. His next film, Chained for Life, premiered at the 2018 BAMcinemaFest and was released theatrically by Kino Lorber the following year.

Schimberg's third feature A Different Man, starring Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson and distributed by A24, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 97th Academy Awards. He was named one of the top ten new directors to watch by Variety at that year's Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Personal life

Schimberg was born in Chicago and grew up in Minneapolis. He was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate and cites it as the reason he gravitates toward narratives about facial disfigurement and disability.

Schimberg is married to Vanessa McDonnell, who is a producer on all of his films.

Filmography

YearTitleRef.
2013Go Down Death
2018Chained for Life
2024A Different Man

Television

YearTitleNotesRef.
2025The Chair Company3 episodes

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2019Florida Film FestivalGrand Jury Award for Best Narrative FeatureChained for LifeWon
New Hampshire Film FestivalGrand Jury Award for Best Narrative FeatureWon
Knoxville Film FestivalBest Narrative Feature FilmWon
New Orleans Film FestivalBest Narrative FeatureWon
Champs-Élysées Film FestivalBest American Feature FilmNominated
Method Fest Independent Film FestivalBest Director Feature FilmNominated
Best Feature FilmWon
2024Berlin International Film FestivalGolden BearA Different ManNominated
Sitges Film FestivalBest ScreenplayWon
Gotham AwardsBest FeatureWon
Independent Spirit AwardsBest ScreenplayNominated
Palm Springs International Film FestivalTop 10 Directors to WatchWon

Notes

External links